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D & P Viking Neptune WC 23
  • Paulette Welch

D & P Viking Neptune WC 23

We are embarking on a world cruise on the Viking Neptune, scheduled to start in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 23, 2023, and end in London, England on May 9, 2024, with loads of exciting stops, and new countries along the way. Read more
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  • Trip start
    December 22, 2023
    Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    The Journey Begins

    December 22, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    We are packed and ready to begin our travels from Salt Lake City International Airport to Fort Lauderdale Airport where we will meet up with the Viking Neptune, which will be our home away from home for the next, nearly 5 months, in just a very few hours. Thanks Candice for the ride! 🥰Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Fort Lauderdale

    December 23, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    We arrived early (5:00 a.m) but our gate was occupied. We are still waiting for a gate at 5:44 at A. My AirTags say all luggage is in Fort Lauderdale after indicating one bag was still in Salt Lake, so, that is good news. In spite of having business class, we still couldn’t get comfortable enough to sleep. Delta’s designers can not compare to the comfort of Lufthansa airline seating. It’s 11:25 am Saturday and we are loaded on the bus at the Le Meriden after breakfast waiting for the bus driver to load our luggage to drive to the Neptune. We were delayed by a coast guard inspection of some sort. We are masked and on our way.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler
    Cartagena Port

    Cartagena, Columbia

    December 28, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Wow, we have never seen this many shipping containers in one spot. They are like the blood cells of our bodies that supply equipment, goods, food and provisions to the world container by container. We are all connected and the globe is smaller than we might imagine. Welcome to Cartagena, Columbia, population 2 million where public education is from preschool - 5 years old through high school, and it is free! Retirement is 57 y/o for women and 62 y/o for men, they have designated bus lanes for public transportation. US $$ are used and can be changed in most shops. Colombia has the best flowers, cocoa, gold mines, coffee and it has newly found stores of oil and gas reserves. Weather is hot and hotter… this is the dry season November - May. The Old Fortress was built in 20 years and finished by the Spanish in 1657 to defend the Port as this Port carried the riches back to Spain. We lost two passengers in the shopping center… you don’t want to be that couple… a 12 ‘ high wall was built around the old city for 11 miles. One of the neighborhoods we toured was called San Diego and the tile roofs are called Islamico. They call the wooden balconies colonial (16-18th centuries) and the concrete balconies are called republican (19th century). We are touring with several white OAT buses today in the old city. The new city was an island they filled it in and now it is a peninsula. Regular Gasoline is $4.00/ gallon regular, $5.00 premium. Healthcare is supplemented by the government for all. Slavery was practiced with indigenous and African people brought to Colombia. We went to an aviary and a monkey liked me. We left the port and joined the building of the Panama Canal lecture at 2:30.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Colon Tour continued

    December 28, 2023 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Clayton (now - City of Knowledge) formerly biggest US military base in the area. Albrook, a US military base in the past, and the airport is still in use. Panama Port company (look up YouTube crocks and locks) 1903-1999 Gorges Hospital in now an exclusive for cancer patients. Panama convention center holds 8,000 people. Covid is still around but much better now. Crime delinquency, and safety and much improved after the evil dictator. Bush 1989 sent 30,000 military to clean up Panama. Causeway connects 3 islands ( with fill from the canal) from the Panama Canal to the mainland and it acts as a beautiful, water break and a recreational area for locals and tourists. Oct 13,1962 there was a ferry then a bridge was built. Biodiversity museum, architecture… are tourist highlights and old town and down town… because of the phenomena of the tides, they dredge the canal and do daily maintenance, During the Pandemic a tanker ship didn’t get the anchor out soon enough, and hit the train bridge doing significant damage. It was a Panamanian pilot. Lots of roundabouts are efficiently employed to control traffic. We saw lots of churches, St. Joseph Church, etc. The Panama Isthmus, at 4:30 PM, lecture about the Panama Canal history was very informative. Dinner and a lovely shared dinner with folks from NV, & NM.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler
    We arrived in Colon!

    Panama Canal Construction

    December 29, 2023 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    The Panama Canal is 51 miles waterway that connects the Atlantic and the Pacific. Gatun Lake at 85 feet above sea level, offers a holding stop for boats traveling in either direction at 85 feet above sea level. It takes 52,000,000 gallons of water for a single ship honing through the locks, and the cost per passenger ship to travel the canal can be as high as a staggering $500,000.00 US dollars. There are approximately 30-40 transits per day and it takes approximately, 8-10 hours.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Colon Panama

    December 29, 2023 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Gilbert or Gill is our guide for today. Panama means beautiful people. You can take a train from Colon to Panama City, which was built in 1821. In 1903 Panama separated from Columbia, red & blue in the flag, represents the political parties even today. In 1914 the French abandoned the construction of the canal. Vasco Núñez de Balboa is credited with having found the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish balboa is used as currency and is equal in local value to the US dollars. In 2013 the silver currency coin, which has a gold colored center, was introduced & valued at one dollar or balboa. Balboa was also the explorer/conquistador, as well the name for an avenue and a beer. 2010 4.3 million; 2020-2023 4.8 million people- 2 million live in the 10 Provence’s with a total of 2 million. Panama City is one of the safest areas for natural disasters because of the geographic position. Last notable earthquake occurred in 1800s.
    Fruit is a major export, especially bananas, mango and pineapple. Coffee is a major product. Agriculture is prominent in the highlands - adjacent to Costa Rica. Gasha coffee very expensive $25.00 /pound. Only indigenous people are hired to collect the bananas because they have secrets that protect the environment and themselves from the bugs. Tourism, Panama Canal (ACP is a private corporation, not government -10,000 workers with good salaries work for ACP) and then construction are the largest employers. You must pay 3 days before entering the canal by wire transfer. The cost to cross is based on pilot, inspection, and maximum capacity and size, even if the ship is not full. Five countries protect the Canal and only the US war ships can cross by treaty, all others are at discretion of the canal authorities. Panama is a neutral country without a standing army. The US, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, & Mexico protect the canal. In 2019 - Largest container ship had 15,000 containers and it cost $1.3 million dollars to transit canal. Richard Halliburton l, an American, got permission to swim the Panama Canal. It took him 9 days, for the 50 miles, and the cost for his journey through the canal was 36 cents based on weight. It was a Guiness world record. John Stevens (US engineer) created the Gatun Lake (a dammed reservoir) which was 26 feet higher than sea level in the mountains for part of the canal passage . Then locks take the ship up to the Lake level and then back down to sea level for the passage. The Originally French attempted to excavate from sea level to sea level - through the mountains meaning they had to excavate deep into the mountains & remove massive amounts of rock. The French effort collapsed after great loss of life & investment. The US used the cleverly engineered lock system, which is still very effective to this day.

    Lots of expats - come for the weather, taxes, and physically safe from natural disasters. For $650.00 per month a couple can live well in Panama. Taxes are only paid on incomes over $800.00/ month. Healthcare - social security 65 y/o for men, 62 y/o for women are paid by the government. Many different nationalities moving to Panama. Lots of businesses are controlled by Chinese people in China town.

    Housing: $4-5,000 month for a fancy place.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Panama Canal Passage

    December 30, 2023 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We are in the Explorer lounge at 7:30 am to view the Panamá Canal Transit with guest lecturers Iain Kennedy and Chris Carter narrating and waiting for our turn. Crocks are in the canal… and wait for the fish to be pushed out with the 26-27 million gallons of water that drained from each lock as they open for the ship to enter. The newer locks put the water into holding ponds to save the fresh water for use again. They have pulling machines called mules (historic holdover) that move the ships through the locks very slowly. The Gatun Locks and Lake were built during the early 20th century.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler
    Happy New Year!

    Sea Day on the way to Coata Rica

    December 31, 2023, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    New Years Eve Reflections - 2023, was marked by lovely family moments, including us welcoming Indra in early January in Boulder, after the joyous arrival of our 2nd grandson, on the 27th of December. We were able to take the 4 grand daughters to Jordanelle Reservoir to trailer, and tent camping, for another cousin Park City Sailing camp adventure, and on a boat camping trip to Lake Powell on Panacea and Foxy, which were memorable experiences. We shared such special moments with our four granddaughters – Jaya, Priya, Silvia, and Lilah, and had a summer visit from Josh and Becca, and Jatasya and Indra in Sandy. We took our 4 darling grand daughters to the Dinosaur Quarry in Vernal, Utah, and to Steamboat Springs (Old Town Hot Springs) and Boulder, Colorado. Rich met us and continued on with Lilah and Silvia to visit Grandma Hansen and family in Minnesota while Heather had to work. The year was marked with a combination of family, and outdoor adventures which created cherished memories with family.

    The year 2023, was prominent for Candice and Dan’s Eventful Colorado River float, a new puppy (Lavi), a (Candice) broken leg/surgery, old knees and feet. Heather’s newer job with PP continued to be remarkable. Rich continues to work on others and his own home projects. An additional major milestone, 4 years in the planning, we embarked on a Viking Neptune world cruise Dec. 23rd from Fort Lauderdale’s Everglades Port. This World Cruise represents and begins an exciting journey filled with exploration, new acquaintances, friends, new hopefully safe, peaceful country examinations, and discoveries. However, the global landscape in 2023 has brought many moments of concern, notably about the future of a democratic America, following the next election, And the questionable judgment and leadership of Israel’s ever expanding war with Hamas. Despite the traumatic/stress/aging orthopedic mobility challenges, our year has been a mix of familial joy, adventurous escapades, and an awareness of the world's interconnectedness and how ongoing political events/wars affect the peace and safety of us all.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    New Years Eve on the Viking Neptune

    December 31, 2023, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Happy New Year! We had dinner with a couple from Southampton, and their 2nd home is in South Africa on the South East tip coast. John and Jane - lovely people, who enjoy the outdoors. We stayed at dinner until nearly 10:00 and then danced on the pool deck with Jan (Family Practice Physician) & Pat, the engineer from Santa Fe, New Mexico who love Lake Powell! They have booked the trash tracker several times- Powell buddies? 🤞Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Puntarena Costa Rica

    January 1, 2024 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Sandy Point - Puntarenas (Puerto Caldera) Costa Rica is a former fishing village on the Gulf of Nicoya that prospered along with the coffee barons. Early on the locals delivered the coffee beans from the mountains via ox carts.. In 1879, the railroad completion put the people delivering coffee by oxcarts out of business. September 15, 1821 is their Independence Day. (Independence from Spain) Costa Rica - Meaning “Rich Coast” but the gold was discovered in Columbia, there is very little in Costs Rica. Coffee production was the major export to England - but it was very expensive due to the transportation issues. The train changed the efficiency of production and transportation, which improved the economy . Northern railroad grew and they began to export bananas which had been planted next to the tracks to feed the railroad workers. Bananas from the United fruit company are sold under the name Chiquita bananas. Since 1949, Costa Rica has had no army, education is free and 96% of all Costa Ricans are literate. 95% of all Costa Rican people have electricity. Free Medical healthcare is provided and is paid for through taxes by businesses & workers, and also a 3% subsidy by the federal government. CR’s minimum wages are around $1,000.00 per month, with a zero inflation rate. In CR, you can live very well with a monthly income of $4,000.00. Housing next to Madonna on the Pacific coast will cost $1-2 million, but a house next to our tour guide will be in the $200,000 range - in the mountains. Corruption was high and in 2002 things started to change for the better. CR is one of the oldest democracies and their inward migration is very high due to the stable economy and wonderful lifestyle. The drug cartels activity is extremely high and they have become a priority to end their hold on the country. Overall CR is very safe. Tom Brady has a house on the beach with horses, and he is just a normal person here and can live a normal life, without drawing attention. Our tour was a drive to a small town of Esparza, founded in 1574 where we viewed local handicrafts and watched local school children in traditional costumes perform traditional dances. Today all the Costa Ricans are celebrating with a day off on the beach. Heather (one of our Aussie friends) stopped us, and said we have 4 sea days - start studying 😂. We won yesterday!Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    One of 4 Sea Days

    January 2, 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌬 28 °C

    Last night was a remarkable evening. Dennis Gyllenhaal called to catch up, (my phone is on Airplane/data and roaming is turned off (it must have been via internet somehow) and we are on a ship off the coast of Central America - Costa Rica. We shared dinner with a couple living in Chicago. The man (Jay Miller) mentioned his dad worked for Boeing in Wichita, Kansas and making conversation, I mentioned Kay Wallick, and it turns out they were very good friends and his first marriage was t one of Jay’s very good friends. I mentioned I was an OT, and the wife, (Madeline Schneider), now a CPA in Chicago, went to KU OT school from 1971-1975, where Nelwyn Patti Pitts Longfield Gyllenhaal went to OT school for the first two years 71-72, before she transferred to WU. Crazy coincidence to be sure. We are all more connected than we imagine at first glance. We had brunch in the Wintergarten, played Baggo, Trivia, (didn’t win) did a bridge tour, and took a Salsa class and… Denny a nap. Tonight at dinner we shared a table for 6, and again won the jackpot. We again had dinner with Jay Miller and Madaline Schneider, and a couple from Canada, Betyl and Bent Hudson who live in Collingwood, ON, L9y 4X4, Canada, which is a reportedly a small walking town near amazing lakes and waterways. They like to camp, have camped in Moab, and have been to Lake Powell, and rented a run about on which to explore Lake Powell.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler
    1

    2nd of 4 Sea Days

    January 3, 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    The ship had a passenger with a medical emergency and we were delayed a bit but all is well and we are on track for an on time arrival at our port in Mexico. Denny worked out for an hour in the gym this AM, and I had a much needed ‘sleep in’ with my mask and ear plugs in place. I am not sure which is more activity packed, a port stop or sea day. Latin and Romance languages such as French and Italian define nouns as feminine or masculine, and the for word ship is feminine - Navis. We played trivia with the usual crew - Heather, Marie, Ray, Paula, John, and 2 new friends from Bacon Hill Sidney, Australia - Susan and Angelo. I learned a new word today, dag . Literally it is the shaved off bottom fur covered with poop from a sheep. According to Australian Slang, it is a person who is fun and a lovely happy character. I read more of the Path Between the Seas book on the back deck, and we went to Tea at 4:00, and later to the photo lecture before dressing for dinner. We dined on the Starboard side - Alisha’s station with Jan and John from Santa Fe, (again) which was lovely, and David and Janet from Brisbane Australia who are disembarking in Las Angeles, to fly back to Australia. They have already been cruising for a couple of cruises, before this cruise. They are all, truly world travelers.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    3rd Sea Day before Cabo

    January 4, 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Poseidon is the Greek God of the Sea and is the counterpart to the Roman God Neptune, who is also the God of rivers, earthquakes and horses. Praying and sacrificing horses to him was considered necessary for success and safe passage. Alexander the Great sent 4 horses and a chariot, over a cliff into the sea before going to battle in Syria to insure victory. Greek mythology divided the world into 3 domains. Poseidon was given the sea. His brother Zeus received the sky, and Hades ruled the underworld. Zeus had the thunderbolts, Hades his helmet of darkness and Poseidon’s trident, when struck to the ground could bring forth bubbling water and earthquakes. Poseidon has long been prominent in seafaring paintings, sculptures, mythology and chariots pulled by a hippocampus, (upper body of a horse and lower body of a fish. The hippocampus dwells at the bottom of the seabed in a coral and gem palace.
    The ship spent the morning training crew for emergency evacuation, etc. Baggo was cancelled, so we spend some time by the pool until the shade disappeared, and we got too hot We had a small Trivia team 7, John, Marie, Heather, Ray, Paula, and us…. 15 and 22 won…. More reading, crocheting - (gloves-seems silly here) and a few lectures. We had dinner with Gloria (elementary teacher), and Tom (Pediatrician and infectious disease specialist in Boulder Colorado), and Beverly (dancer and recreational therapist turned personal trainer), and her husband Jim who was a 20 year army retiree from the intelligence area now living in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Beverly’s sister lives in Edmond, Oklahoma. We went to the Heather Clancy concert with 200 years of music wrapped up in one amazing evening from opera to pop. What a talent… one of Vikings very best talents. Her dynamic range, voice control, style, skill, humor, and overall command of the stage was second to none…
    Civilization was built on salt and therefore on the sea. Without salt, food preservation would not have been possible. Salt is necessary to preserve meat, fish, season, transport or store food. This practice dates back to the 1st century BC. Salt was used in battle to render the land useless. Salt was used as currency in trade. The word salary comes from the Latin word Sal for salt. Italy’s Via Samaria is one of the many roads used to transport salt from the sea to cities of empires. Salterns extracted the mineral very simply by evaporation. Empire, ceramic vessels with narrow necks were used to hasten the process over a fire. When the water boiled away, salt was left. Workers broke the vases and extracted the salt. Later shallow pans were used and left in the sun evaporate the water.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    4th Sea Day on our way to Cabo

    January 5, 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    The Ancient Greek as well as modern ornithologists have identified specific species that travel routes which are thousands of miles from feeding to breeding waters. Highly adapted to marine life, seabirds flying over water for months feed on krill or fish that swim near the surface. Migrating birds can dive as deep as 100 feet below the surface if the water to catch squid, or survive by foraging for food along the coast. Some follow the ships and feed on fish disturbed in the wake of the ships. The Arctic tern boasts one of the longest migrations routes of any bird, flying between the Arctic and the Antarctic each year. Few birds cover the miles of the Sooty Shearwater. It also flies between polar regions, but during the summer, they follow the warm weather, flying quite remarkably some 40,000 miles in a year from New Zealand to Japan then over to Alaska and California. Clearly, these birds prefer to be on the move.
    We played Baggo, Trivia, danced in the Tordhaven, joined the photo lecture and port talk where we met Robyn and Josh in the Star and had dinner with Lorie from Boca Raton, pat an Jan from Santa Fe New Mexico and next to Marie and Heather in a table for two.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

    January 6, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Located at the tip of the 775 mile Baja Peninsula, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez, Cabo is picturesque coast, with resorts, scuba diving, fishing and a busy town center, and harbor with spectacular beaches and the recognizable rock formations. As we know, the more sleepy San Jose del Cabo, which is a charming small Mexican town with the lovely town square, church and quaint atmosphere surrounded by the traditional adobe homes. The authentic Spanish Mission and city were founded in 1730 where galleons were replenished to make their way onto the Philippines. This is a lovely, Cabo Port day, great weather, and we will be taking the Cactus Tour - with our individual 4 x 4’s in the desert and along the beach. They didn’t allow us to take pictures or to take anything with us, and we didn’t buy the $80.00 thumb drive of the whole groups trip. - Who signed up for this excursion? Some people are happier about this adventure, than others… it was fun and we returned in one piece. They provided tacos for lunch (which they said, were gluten free) at the modern camel and ATV tour facility. Papa wants to do the camel’s next time. We returned to Cabo via bus and walked around for a time in the shopping plaza along the harbor, before returning to the ship.
    We had another Medical Emergency this morning, not sure of the details yet. We had dinner with multiple time World Cruisers - Roger and Janet (Seattle by way of Henderson, NV) who were also on the Magical Mystery cruise (2020) with us, and watched a movie before bed… Viking Mars was also in Cabo. Dale, Candyce’s husband, caught a large fish on his adventure.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    2 of 2 Sea Days to LA

    January 7, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ -4 °C

    Sailing the South Pacific Ocean it is getting too cool to eat outside for breakfast snd lunch.
    When Ferdinand Magellan crossed the Pacific Ocean almost 500 years ago, he dubbed it Mar Pacífico, meaning "peaceful sea." The name has remained, though those who have sailed these waters have not always brought peace. Soon after Magellan's sailing and as Europeans continued to expand their reach, five Spanish galleons carrying some 400 explorers pioneered a westward crossing, establishing one of the longest trade routes in history, which operated for 250 years. With trade came settlement and conflict whose ripple effects are still felt today. More recently, in 1947, Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl crossed this ocean on a balsa raft he built himself in
    order to prove that ancient civilizations could have done the same.
    The Spanish Empire in the 18th Century was the largest in the world. Rulers Ferdinand and Isabella enlisted Columbus to find a westward tour to the East Indies. In 1492 he reached the Bahamas which launched an endless tide of Spanish voyages to the New World with Catholic clergy and Dominicans, Franciscans and Jesuits accompanied for spiritual guidance to the troops and spread their religion around the world. Teachers, doctors, scribes and cartographers also provided supporting roles to document, heal and teach along the way. Natives alliances were forged and locals mere enslaved, enlisted or killed. Settlements were established in North, South and what is now Central Americas.
    We went to the gym, played Baggo with the Red team and Trivia with our Aussie friends before lunch in the World Cafe. Paula is still sea sick - the sea is very active this leg to be sure. We will have our hull inspected and cleaned in LA as Australia and New Zealand. We have gone 5,000 nautical miles to get to LA.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    1 o 2 Sea Days, before LA

    January 7, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    Jan 7, 2023
    Ferdinand Magellan (born 1480) crossed the Pacific Ocean 500 years ago, he called it Mar Pacífico, meaning "peaceful sea." The name has remained, though those who have sailed these waters have not always brought peace. Soon after Magellan's sailing and as Europeans continued to expand their reach, five Spanish galleons carrying some 400 explorers pioneered a westward crossing, establishing one of the longest trade routes in history, which operated for 250 years. With trade came settlement and conflict whose ripple effects are still felt today. More recently, in 1947, Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl crossed this ocean on a balsa raft he built himself in order to prove that ancient civilizations could have done the crossing.
    We played Baggo, went on the general ship tour which included a small peek at a kitchen, wine storage, engine control room, crew quarters, and I 95 corridor, which is the length of the ship and the laundry with a $1.4 million dollar flat sheet machine which dried, and folds sheets. They have a shirt machine that takes a few seconds to dry and steam a shirt on a hanger. We checked in with our Aussie friends to try and gain some points, but were less than stellar today. At lunch we met and sat on the back deck with Molly, and Stan who will be leaving us in LA and will join the Sky in Sidney for the remainder of their World Cruise on the Sky.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Port of Las Angeles

    January 9, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We disembarked to go through customs and walked around the port area. We stopped by the Iowa and embarked back on the ship and met a new couple from Kansas City, Kansas. Darrel went to Northwestern Medical School and graduated 2 years before Papa. Sally was a TWA flight attendant, and they met and married after she was 27 years old. There was a Cocktail Party on the Pool Deck at 5:15 and we met and talked with Karine Hagen, the daughter of the owner of Viking. She and Torstein Hagen were on board for the welcome ceremony as their headquarters are in LA. Her partner is from Salt Lake City - and we chatted about her desire to spend more time there. She is lovely and very easy to talk to - what a treat. We had dinner with Angelo, Susan - Australian, and after were joined by Paula and Ray. Ray - wanted to look at a Tesla truck in Santa Barbara, but after asking Wade, there were none there, nor in Honolulu. Lovely evening. Thanks Wade!Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Santa Baraba, Calfornia

    January 10, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    Santa Barbara between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains is truly beautiful, and is called by some the Americas Rivieras. The history of Santa Barbara runs deep, through many cultures, across the Santa Barbara Channel, and throughout the city as it stands today. Culture is around every corner, and as you step into Santa Barbara, it’s also a step back in time into early Hollywood or to the very first days of Fiesta.
    From the basketry and boat-building techniques of the Chumash Indians, to the Spanish Colonial influence that can be seen around every corner, and the first days of filmmaking, Santa Barbara’s history is vast and truly unique.
    Spanish settlers gave the city its distinct architectural style in the form of Old Mission Santa Barbara and what is now the County Courthouse — a style that was carried forward by local visionaries after a massive earthquake destroyed much of the area’s infrastructure in 1925.
    And before the curtain went up on the Los Angeles film scene, Santa Barbara was a booming hub for the silver screen, home to California’s first major movie studio, Flying A Studios. Hundreds of silent films were produced in Santa Barbara in the early 1920s, and Charlie Chaplin himself was known to frequent the area.
    Maritime tradition began long ago and remains prominent in Santa Barbara. The famed Stearns Wharf is the oldest working wharf in California, built in 1872 by John Peck Stearns. Today, visitors enjoy walking Stearns Wharf, which is where one can find a variety of shops, restaurants, and local businesses.
    Santa Barbara continued to make notable history into modern times when it established the world’s very first official Earth Day celebration in 1969. The annual Earth Day Festival still takes place in Alameda Park every April. Santa Barbara marks its history throughout the year with a series of festivals and events. Relive the festive Latin heritage during Old Spanish Fiesta Days. Celebrate the city’s 300+ days of annual sunshine during Summer Solstice. Watch as stars still walk the red carpet into the city’s many beautiful theaters during the annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. We took th included bus tour, climbed the clock tower at city hall had a wonderful lecture by a history teacher and walked back to tge ship. We had trouble getting back as the seas were not cooperating but we made it… We had lunch and went straight to the spa before dinner. We had dinner with Diane and Dan before retiring.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    1 of 5 Sea Days to Oahu

    January 11, 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Looking at a globe, it is not difficult to imagine the land masses fitting together like a puzzle. In 1912, Alfred Wegener (1880-1930) geophysicist, posed the Origin of the Continents theory that all continents were once joined. This theory of continental drift was first proposed in 1596 by Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598). he was a cartographer (map maker) and creator of the first modern Atlas. In 1920, Wegener, coined the term “Pangea” to refer to the massive supercontinent. This word is of Greek duration, and means (pan - all and Gaia - Mother Earth). Today, scientists believe that Pangea merged together some 300 million years ago and started to drift apart 200 million years ago. During its 100 million years Pangea resided mostly in the Southern Hemisphere. Geologists have identified matching fossils and identical geological features, in eastern regions of South America and western part of Africa. Given the Earth consisted of one huge continent likewise there was one enormous ocean. Panthalassa (Thalassa - sea) described the watery 70% of the planet. The Pacific Ocean, it appears, is the closest relative to the Panthalassa as all other seas were created after the drift of the land masses. Nautical Trivia - The term “As the Crow Flies” is a nautical term. Ships carried crows onboard and when released their flight path would determine the most direct route to land. This practice of keeping and releasing crows, is also why the highest place on a ship is called the crows next.
    The Captain announced we will be changing course to avoid a storm in our path to Oahu. (Follow the Viking Neptune on cruise mapper. https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=9845910 New guest lecturers came aboard in LA. It should be fun to hear what they have to say over the coming weeks. Last night Travis Clover performed in the StarTheatre (50-70’s tunes) He was on broadway and had the longest running performance of Jersey Boys - he now lives and performs in Las Vegas - he is very good.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    2nd of 5 Sea Day to Ohau

    January 12, 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    We played Baggo and our red team won and our team won Trivia today with 21 points. Who knows the colors of each letter of google.com in order? What about which M & M cartoon characters are girls, and what are their colors? We went to Hawaiian inspired line dancing with Aoibhin (pronounced like Jolene but A - bene O’Neil - red haired Irish cruise director - her 1st WC. Our new Hawaiian friend Gloria, (Tom) also felt it was more line dancing than Hawaiian… 🤣 Fun nevertheless… We have new entertainers and guest lecturers come on board in LA, and we are looking forward to hearing from them. Jason Bird will be performing tonight at 9:00 in Star Theatre. He is a magic comedian, and mentalist… should be interesting. He is also a Las Vegas performer. His last wine bottle trick was amazing…
    The Pacific Ocean covers 1/3 of the earths surface. Migration to the islands from Taiwan predates European exploration, and is reflected in the Hawaiian Island’s population.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    3rd Sea Day to Oahu

    January 14, 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    Due to cloudy weather last night Navigation by the Stars was not possible… practical but before satellites and GPS that is how explorers traveled around the world. Polynesians were among the first to master the Star navigation skills. These were brilliant seafarers who were able to read the sea swells, weather, etc., moving between the Pacific Islands and figure out the best times to manage these tricky waters. Having said that, today has been likely trickier for those prone to sea sickness. We have had whitecaps most of the day which made our new dance class even more challenging. Michael, assistant cruise director, was sipping ginger ale and struggling this day. We had two missing from Trivia and Baggo tossing was not very precise today. Papa was blue team today, and they seemed to have benefited from the rough seas.
    “Son of a Gun”
    When in port, and with crew restricted to the ship, wives and ladies were allowed to live onboard along with the crew. Infrequently, children were born on the ship, and a convenient place for child birth was between the guns on the gun deck. If a child’s father was unknown, they were entered onto the ships log as a “son of a gun.”
    We had dinner with Barrel, Bent, Canada, again, and Linda and James Michael from Nashville, Tennessee. Coffee in the atrium and lovely piano music.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    5 of 5 Sea Days Before Oahu

    January 15, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We have been traveling at 18 knots to get to Oahu before a storm headed our way. We took a more southerly route out of LA. which put us a bit behind, thus the increased speed.. Our scheduled port time was 8:00 am. but the Captain is shooting for 6:00 am port time and 12:00 am arrival. He announced at noon we were traveling at 19 knots. How many miles per hour is that ladies? I remember some girls that liked to water ski not much faster than that… this puppy would be a little harder to get around to pick you up. We had dinner again with Elizabeth, Jean are retired doctors - NICU and Heart transplant out of Denver, and Tom and Katherine who were a lawyer and elementary teacher NY. Who now have homes in Con. and FL.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Oahu (Honolulu) Hawaii, USA

    January 16, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 26 °C

    The rising volcanic crater of Diamond Head overlooking Waikiki Beach in Honolulu embodies the fusion of natural beauty on this the island of Oahu, HI’s 3rd largest. There are 125 beaches with multiple crystalline lagoons, cascading waterfalls, and dense rain forests that dot the stunning natural paradise known as “The Gathering Place”… Maui is the “Valley Isle”, Kauai is the Garden Isle, Molokai is Friendly Isle, and Niihau is the Forbidden Isle, Kahoolawe, is the Target Isle… from the war days. The Hawaiian story is another sad commentary on American colonialism… The self righteous ideology, brutality, power and greed create the content of the history books pages.… and leave out the brutality and injustices, over and over. It is not a surprise that the locals are bitter… Kamehameha I founded the Kingdom of Hawaii on these shores. The Japanese attacked the American Base of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, and the US entered World War II … Today, we visited Pearl Harbor and sent pictures of the proximity of the Allen Ship(GrandpaTom’s) to the Arizona to Deb. Grandpa Tom said he could see the faces of the pilots, and the cooks on his ship were throwing potatoes at the planes. Visiting this site visually demonstrates the images of that experience. We got a call from Priya this evening, and talked with the Maui babies before dinner. We gave them a short live tour of our walk down to the dining room on the 2nd floor.Read more

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